Gas engine



(No Model.)

2 SheetB -Shee'at 2. J. ROBSON.

GAS. ENGINE.

Patented July 5, 1881.

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N. PETERS. Pmm-Lnho n mn waminm D.C.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFicn JAMES ROBSON, OF LoNDoN, COUNTY OF sunnnv, ENGLAND.

GAS-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION- forming part of Letters Patent No. 243,795, dated July 5, 1881.

Application filed December 23, 1880. (No'modeL) Patented in England November 4, 1879, in France May 4, 1880, and in Belgium May 25, 1880. I

To all whom it mag concern Be it known that I, JAMES ROBSON, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at No. 106 Falmouth' Road, in the city of London, in the county of Surrey and Kingdom of England, have'invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gas-Engines, (for which I have Obtained a patent in Great Britain, No. 4,501,bearing date November 4, 187 9,) of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to engines substantially of the following construction:

One arrangement of my improved engines consists of a horizontal or vertical cylinder closed at both ends, in which work a piston and rod. I use one stroke of the piston to draw in a charge of gas or vapor and air on the front side or the under side of the piston, by means, preferably, of a flap-valve, and on the return-stroke this charge is forced through a lift-valve and passage into a reservoir, and retained there by the closing of this lift-valve, at which time the piston has completed its outward or downward stroke. At this moment the escape-valve is opened by an eccentric on the crank-shaft, and permits the products of combustion to escape out by a port situated in the cylinders side, about the middle, or, if desirable, nearer the end, of the pistons travel. A self-acting valve now opens or is opened by a cam or eccentric between the back or upper space in the cylinder and the reservoir, and allows the compressed gases in the reservoir to enter the cylinder and expel the remaining products of combustion through the escapeport. When the piston has moved back or upward a short distance the escape-valve closes, and then the valve communicating with the reservoir also closes, confining the partiallycompressed inflammable gases in the back or upper space and portways of the cylinder, which compression is completed by the backward motion or by the ascent of the piston. When the piston is at its back or upper end the compressed gases occupy a space between it and the cylinder-cover, and also in the portways.

About this period a slide-valve worked by an eccentric on the crank-shaft, containing a gasflame, is brought over a port-hole in the cylinder and explodes the gases, which, by their consequent augmented pressure and expansion, drive the piston forward or downward,

which, by a connecting-rod, turns the crank,

the shaft, and the fiy-wheel during each successive outward or downward stroke, the refturn-stroke being performed by the momentum of the fly-wheel.

p In my second arrangement the gases are com pressed into the reservoir in the same manner as in my first arrangement; but when the piston is at the back or upper end of the cylinder the reservoir-valve is opened and permits the gases to enter the cylinder, also the portways and space on the back or upper side of the piston. When the piston has traveled a short way out or down its stroke the reservoir-valve is now closed and the flame-slide is brought into communication with and explodes the gases on the back or upper side of the piston at each successive outward or downward stroke,which drives the piston, connecting-rod, crank-shaft,

and fly-wheel, as in my first-described arrangement. An escape valve at the back or upper end of the cylinder is opened during the entire backward or upward stroke of the piston and allows the products of combustion to escape. An ordinary governor is used, in connection with an eccentric wedge and cook, to regulate the supply of gas or vapor, or with a simple cock alone. In some cases I explode the gases in the cylinder by an insulated wire I and electric spark obtained from an inductioncoil worked by a magneto-electric machine which is turned by the engine itself. I sometimesallow a portion of the exploded gases to force themselves through a tube and lift-valve into a reservoir, to be there stored and used for working a small engine with cylinder, piston,

valves, and crank-shaft, with toothed pinion gearing into a toothed wheel on the main engine-shaft to turn and start the engine.

0n the accompanying two sheets of drawings the same figures are used for the like parts throughout.

Figure Aisalongitudinal section,and Fig. 0 is an end view, in which 1 is a water-jacketed cylinder, having a piston, 2, connected by its rod 3 and connecting-rod 4 'to a crank and shaft, 5, on which is a fly wheel, 6, all being arranged on a base, 7. When the piston is moving back in a horizontal engine or ascending in a vertical engine it draws in a charge of combustible gas or vapor and air through a flap-valve, 8,provided with gas and air ports 9 and 10, as seen in Fig. K. On the return-stroke of the piston this charge is forced through a lift-valve, 11, and passage 12 into and retained in a reservoir, 13, at which time the piston has completed its outward or downward stroke. At this moment the escape-valve 14 is opened by an eccentric and rod, 15, and permits the products of combustion to escape out by the ports 16 in the cylinders side, about the middie or near the end of the pistons travel. "A self-acting valve, 17, now opens and allows the compressed gases in the reservoir to enter the back end of the cylinder and ports 18 and expel the remaining products of combustion through the escape-valve. When the piston has moved back or upward a short way the escape-valve closes, and then the valve communicating with the reservoir also closes, confining the partially-compressed inflammable gases in the back or upper space and portways of the cylinder, which compression is completed by the backward motion, or by the ascent of the piston. When the piston is at its back or upper end the compressed gases occupy a space between it and the cylindercover, and also in the portways 18. About this period a slide-valve, 19, worked by an eccentric and rod, 20, containing a gas-flame, is moved over the cylinder-port and ignites the gases, which, by their consequent augmented pressure and expansion, drive the piston forward or downward, which, by its rod and connectin g-rod, turns the crank-shaft and fiy-wheel at each successive out or down stroke, the return-stroke being performed by the momentum of the fly-wheel.

To insure the gases firing, 1 construct the slide 19 as shown in larger scale in Figs. D, E, and F. 21 is the flamecavity, supplied with gas by a pipe and hole in the slide-back 22, which is out ofl by the movement of the slide just before the flame-cavity opens to the cylinder-port, at which moment a small portion ofthe cylinder-gases is allowed to pass from the port 18, through the cavity 21 and shield 23 and lower airway, 24, in the slide-back, into the atmosphere, or through small holes 25, Figs. E and F, and then by atube into the bedplate. The slide-flame is relighted each time by a constant flame, 26, in the air-circulating recess 27. 28 is one or more plates in the cylinder end for the uniform distribution of the entering gases.

Figs. G and H show a cylinder constructed according to my second arrangement. The gases are compressed into the reservoir 13 the same as in my first-described arrangement; but when the piston is near the back of its travel the slide 29 allows the gases to enter the cylinder-portways and tubular space 31 by way of 30 from the reservoir-pipe 18 on the back side of the piston. When the piston has traveled a short way out or down its stroke the slide then cuts the entering gases ofi' and brings the flame-cavity over the cylinder-port and ignites the gases, as in the first arrangement. The escape-valve 32 is open during the backstroke of the piston. An ordinary governor, 33, is used in connection with a cook or valve, 34, for controlling the gas, or in connection with an eccentric wedge and cock to cut the supply of gas entirely off at intervals.

In Figs. A and. B, 35 is a spring-loaded liftvalve, which, on the explosion of the gases in thecylinder, lifts and allows part of the highpressure gases to pass by the tube 36 into the reservoir 37, to be there stored and used for working a small engine, 38, (see Figs. I and J with cylinder, piston, valves, and crank shaft similar to a steam-engine, having on its shaft a friction-toothed pinion, 39, gearing into alarge similarly-toothed wheel, or the fly-wheel 6 on the main en gine-shaft. The small en gine shaft runs in rocking supports 40, which are supported and turn with a shaft, 41, which moves in and is supported by a bracket, 42, fixed to the bed-plate. A lever handle, 43, is fixed to the shaft 41. So on starting the small engine, by letting the compressed gases from the reservoir 37 by the cook 44 into it, and then pressing the pinion 39 against the large wheel 6 by the lever-handle 43, which may be moved by a screw or by hand, the main engine is started with little manual exertion.

I lubricate the cylinder and piston by using a lubricator, 45, with a revolving plug, 46, in which is one or more cavities to take a little oil round each revolution of the plug from the outside oil-cup and deposit it in a hole opening into the top of the cylinder. The plug 46 is revolved by a ratchet-wheel and lever, 47, worked by the eccentric-rod 20. A similar lubricator is used for the slide-valve.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Let ters Patent, is-

1. The combination of engine, with cylinder 1 and piston 2, of the pipe 12 and reservoir 13, valve 17, pipe 18, and exhaust outlets 16, whereby a charge of inflammable gases is drawn in, and then compressed into a reservoir by one side of a piston working in a cylinder, and the expulsion and replacement during the backward stroke on the other side of such piston of the burnt gases of the previous for ward stroke by the compressed gases from such reservoir, and completes the compression of the gases by the continued backward mo tion or ascent of such piston, and explosion on the forward stroke for obtaining motive power, the parts being arranged substantially as hereinbefore described.

2. The igniting-valve, with a shield-plate in the internal flame-cavity to protect such pressure exploded gases obtained from the cylinder and stored in a reservoir, 37, for starting gas-engines, substantially as hereinbefore described.

Witnesses: JAMES ROBSON.

JOHN MARSH DAY,

PHILIP PUTNAM. 

